TDS Desk:

The Bangladeshi government has suspended all new and existing approvals for importing vannamei shrimp fry. The immediate halt, announced in a press release on Thursday, followed a high-level review of potential risks linked to the industry.

A meeting chaired by the fisheries ministry’s adviser Farida Akhtar on January 7 concluded that uncontrolled expansion of Vannamei farming was “not advisable”.

Officials cited risks of disease transmission, environmental pollution, and harm to native Bagda and Galda shrimp species.

The ministry has ordered a comprehensive field inspection of existing approved vannamei farms to check compliance with licensing conditions. All import approvals will remain frozen until a full assessment of the industry’s environmental, social, and economic impact is completed.

Authorities will commission further studies to guide future policy. The meeting also stressed the need to prioritise increasing native shrimp species production over importing varieties.

The January 7 meeting was attended by Fisheries Secretary Abu Tahir Muhammed Zaber, Department of Fisheries Director General Md Zia Haider Chowdhury, and other senior officials.